Be One Traveler
by Moriwen1
Summary: What if Buffy had caught up with Riley's helicopter? What if she hadn't? Follows Buffy through two alternate storylines and romances. Written for a prompt at sb fag ends.


She runs. She's never run faster in her life. Slayer, hero, supergirl, lived and died and lived again, saved the world more times than she can count, but she's never run like this before, until the burn in her lungs spreads upwards into her chest and downwards into her stomach and her legs are so tired they don't even hurt anymore, just shake until she trips over her own feet, and she picks herself up and keeps running, throwing herself forwards and somehow her feet keep up. But she has to make it, she can't screw this up, this is it, this is her one chance at happiness, and the trees are a blur as she leaps into the clearing and screams-

"Riley!"

". . . Riley!"

". . . Riley!"

* * *

She cries on Riley's shoulder, later. "I'm so sorry," she whispers, and "I love you," again and again. He holds her tight and says "it's all right" and "I love you too" every time. His arms are strong and safe around her, and right now, this is what she needs.

* * *

She cries on Spike's shoulder, later. They don't say anything, either of them, for a long time; he's stiff under her touch, whether with fear or anger or sympathy she can't say, and eventually he reaches up, hesitant, and touches her hair. She almost shrinks away, but his fingers are so gentle, and right now, this is what she needs.

* * *

It's almost a cliche, when Riley proposes. He does it all exactly right, there's a romantic dinner (by candlelight, no less) and an extravagant profession of love ("this is forever, Buffy, I want us to be forever") and she thinks of Angel and then, briefly, of another vampire, and she wants to tell him what "forever" really means, but then he sinks down on one knee and asks her to marry him. The ring is a glinting solitaire diamond in a black velvet box, more than either of them can afford, and she says yes, and doesn't understand why she's terrified as the words pass her lips.

* * *

She lifts up the vampire and throws him, spinning, onto Spike's stake, and with a cry he dissolves into a cloud of dust. "Damn, love, that was beautiful," Spike exclaims, and then, in that way he has where his mouth just won't stop saying things, "Marry me?"

She blinks. "Did you just ask me to marry you?"

He nods, fumbles through his pocket, and pulls out a grubby ring that probably came out of a vending machine for two quarters. "It's fake," he explains helpfully, "but I can break into a store for a new one, if you want."

If you'd asked her, she couldn't have told you why she said yes, or why it made her so happy to say it.

* * *

They have a white wedding, in June. She winces a little at the vows - why should she obey him, or he protect her? - but Riley smiles at her, and she repeats the words after the priest, and it's done.

* * *

The first two times, they don't even get through the vows before demons attack. When they have to reschedule their third try at a wedding because the apocalypse is due that day, they give up and get married at the courthouse. Spike grins like an idiot the whole time.

* * *

She stops slaying, after a while. Riley never asks her to, but she knows it'll make him happy, and there's all those new slayers running around, and they're trying for a baby, and -

It's just better this way.

* * *

She'll slay till the day she dies. And when that day comes, she hopes it's in the line of duty, with Spike by her side.

* * *

They have a boy, and two years later a little girl, and then they're done, so Riley goes and gets things fixed. The kids don't even know what a demon is until they're old enough to know about Santa Claus, and it all sort of gets rolled into one big talk, Santa and vampires and how babies are made. (Buffy really hopes they don't get those topics mixed up.) Riley Jr. plays "soldier" and "vampire slayer" and "superhero" interchangeably, and his dad takes him out slaying sometimes.

Joy plays house.

* * *

They fight about children, sometimes. They can't have any, of course, but adoption is a thing, so they argue and sometimes throw punches, and switch sides in the argument a lot. She suspects that Spike actually wants children more than she does, but he can't justify bringing a child into their lives the way they live, so when she suggests it he refuses.

It all becomes a moot point when he brings home a young woman with Down's syndrome who's been vamped (not by him, thank god). She's not even a child, let alone theirs, but they love her just the same.

* * *

They grow old together. They're happy.

* * *

They're happy, though only one of them grows old.

* * *

It's dark when Buffy stirs and wakes. She's bone tired but her heart is racing and her breaths are quick and sharp.

Her husband opens his eyes, and murmurs a sleepy question, asking her what's the matter.

Buffy rolls over and snuggles closer to him. "You won't believe the dream I had."

He won't.


End file.
